His Muse
by Lightning Bolts and Pine Trees
Summary: After the Giant War, Apollo is punished and who better to check up on him than Thalia Grace. The forlorn god suddenly finds his muse, will it end in romance or tragedy. Please don't read it if you don't ship Thapollo, I'm usually a Thaluke author...


**Ok, I know this isn't a common ship, and that I usually stick to Thaluke (who happens to be my OTP), but I figured this will help me get over the writer's block I've been suffering from. So let me know how you guys like this and if it gets enough attention I'll try to continue, no promises though. Let me know what you guys think, this is definitely a Thapollo fic with hints of Thaluke. Enjoy!~ Bolts and Trees**

Thalia walked up the shimmering gold stairs that led to Apollo's palace, it was apparently her job to check on the god and make sure that he wasn't violating his punishment. Thalia found it a little unfair that he was being punished for the whole Octavian thing, it wasn't his fault that Octavian was psychotic and twisted whatever Apollo had said to mesh with his sick dream. Plus it was a waste of her time to constantly be checking on the god, it was rather inconvenient to have to constantly run to see what he was up to. According to her father Apollo was allowed to raise and set the sun, and that was it, nothing more than that, unless Rachel direly needed him, and Camp Jupiter had a new Augur who was a lot less corrupt than that creep Octavian.

She pushed the doors etched with suns open and instantly the god's head perked up when he heard the sound. To Thalia, Apollo looked like a pouty toddler who didn't get his way, it was amusing in a way. Sure he had the muses to attend to him but apparently they were boring; Thalia had even met her namesake who was pretty cool. It was pretty funny to see a god pout because he was banished to his palace for a few decades, which Thalia figured was why she was the one they picked to go check on him. She'd be around for that long, if not longer it sort of came with immortality.

"Oh thank me you're here!" Apollo sighed dramatically as he set his ukelele down on the chaise beside him.

"I'm just here to check up on you and make sure you're following the rules." she smirked.

"Oh come on! I bet you could stay for a couple hours, give me some company?" he begged her.

Thalia laughed, "Of all the things in my job description, entertaining the prisoner isn't one of them."

Apollo pouted, "Please Thalia, I'll let you drive the sun chariot."

She shook her head, "I've got other things to do on top of checking up on you."

"At least stay for lunch." Apollo begged her.

Thalia raised her eyebrows, "You want me to stay for lunch?"

The god nodded, "Please, I promise I won't try to pry into your life like the last time."

It was true, the last time she had decided to stay and keep Apollo company he asked her a bunch of questions. She didn't think he was trying to be invasive but it was all a little overwhelming because he was asking her so many questions. It was more like he was trying to get to know her better rather than be a creep.

Thalia sighed, "Fine, I'll stay for lunch."

Apollo grinned, and Thalia could see how it was so easy for him to get his way with women, "Great! I'll alert my cook."

Thalia rolled her eyes and watched as Apollo ran off down a flight of stairs. She had been checking up on the poor god for the past three weeks now and she had to admit that she felt kind of bad for him; she was his only human contact from the mortal world. Sure a few other gods came to visit him but she wondered how fun that was for him. The god appeared moments later with a grin on his face, "Lunch is going to be served in the courtyard."

"Nice place you've got here." Thalia complimented the god's palace, her best friend had designed it after all. She had to admit that it was pretty kick ass.

"Have you seen all of it yet?" Apollo asked, for the first time since he'd been punished the god had a hint of the old twinkle in his green eyes.

Thalia shook her head, "Not all of it, just this area."

"Well, I'll take you on the tour." Apollo grinned, lopping his arm through Thalia's and dragging her towards a hallway. He led her through at least twenty different rooms all devoted to different parts of his aspects, and they finally ended in his favorite courtyard where their lunch was being served. There was a small table set for two, a gorgeous fountain that sparkled with a golden sun detail, there were plenty of flowers and shade trees. Thalia could imagine why this was his favorite place in the palace.

"It's gorgeous." she whispered.

The god smiled, "It is isn't it?"

Thalia nodded, "This place is amazing."

Apollo shrugged, "It gets lonely, sure the muses are crawling around all the time but there's no one at the end of the day."

"Is the all amazing god of bachelors saying that he's sick of being a bachelor?" Thalia smirked.

"If I met the right person and Zeus lets me officiate it." Apollo replied.

Thalia shook her head, "Wow, prison has changed you."

Apollo stuck his tongue out, "Watch it Thalia."

"I'm quivering." she laughed before walking to the fountain and sitting on the edge. She skimmed her fingers on the surface of the water and was pleasantly surprised that it was warm. Apollo watched her with a smile on his face and his arms crossed over his chest, he knew Artemis probably wasn't extremely happy about Thalia having to check up on him but he had to admit, it was nice to have someone with a human life force around. Compared to the muses and his family who visited him once in awhile, Thalia was a breath of fresh air; she wasn't completely immortal and made to look perpetually perfect, she had a human perfection to her.

A group of satyrs brought out their food and set it on the table before dismissing themselves. Apollo pulled Thalia's chair out for her and took the one across from her, he was tempted to write a poem about her; he wasn't talking about a haiku, he was talking about a serious poem. There was a spread of food Apollo had loved from his time in the mortal world; orange chicken, pizza, cheeseburgers, fries, and of course his favorite sushi.

"Help yourself." Apollo gestured to the food. Thalia instantly went to the cheeseburger and fries which was something Apollo found kind of cute. Of all the girls he'd known, none of them went for anything but salads. Apollo settled for some orange chicken and enjoyed his lunch with Thalia.

"So, what do you do by yourself all day?" Thalia asked curiously.

Apollo shrugged, "It's boring being by myself. I haven't have any inspiration to write any new poetry or music, I mainly just sit in my throne room and watch over my children."

Thalia nodded, "That sucks, the least they could have done was give you some company."

"That's why they sent you." Apollo shrugged and sipped on his can of Coke. The god had acquired a taste for the bubbly drink over the past few decades, to him it was almost as amazing as Nectar.

"I never stay." Thalia raised her eyebrows.

The god smiled, "Something is better than nothing. I would prefer it if you'd stay a couple hours when you check up on me but it's your choice."

Once again Thalia felt bad for the god; first he'd been imprisoned on Delos, then they imprisoned him in his own palace without contact to the outside world other than his couple visitors. Artemis wasn't happy with Zeus's idea of punishment and she herself had gotten in trouble for going against Zeus's orders to cut off all contact with heroes. Apollo got the worst out of the two though, even Artemis would admit that. What could a couple hours a week with Apollo hurt? How come Hera hadn't gotten in that much trouble?

"I guess I can stay for awhile." Thalia shrugged.

The god grinned, "Could you?"

She nodded, "Just as long as I'm back to the huntresses before sundown."

"I can give you a lift." Apollo smiled, "I'm headed that way anyway."

* * *

After lunch Apollo and Thalia hung around the courtyard and practiced archery. Apollo even helped Thalia perfect her technique, which was extremely helpful. The god stood behind her and guided her, he was close enough for Thalia to feel the heat coming off his body and to smell his cologne that was unlike any other she'd ever smelled before.

The arrow hit the target in the dead middle of the bull's eye, "That's a girl, that was perfect."

Thalia found herself blushing from the god's praise, it was sort of flattering because she had never really received praise from many people before in her life, "Thanks Lord Apollo."

Apollo frowned, "Drop the formalities, it's just Apollo and if I ever catch you calling me Lord Apollo again I'll write the worst song I possibly can and make sure it becomes famous."

Thalia laughed, "Sorry about that."

"You better be." the god feigned seriousness and raised his eyebrow.

Apollo had to admit he liked the huntress. She was spunky but there was still a sweet quality to her that proved she had a softer side than she led people to believe. He liked her the moment he met her four winters prior, he wouldn't have let her drive his sun chariot if he didn't. Despite what Thalia might know Apollo had always kept tabs on her; he was worried about her and all after Luke did what he did to her. She deserved happiness and he knew she thought that happiness would be with Luke, but Apollo knew better, he knew it wasn't Luke she'd find her happiness with.

Thalia smiled at him and knocked another arrow, it soared through the air and hit the target right next to the previous one, "Wow, that really worked."

"I told you it would." Apollo grinned.

* * *

He continued to watch Thalia until she announced that it was time for her to get going. It had felt like she had only been there minutes rather than hours. Apollo held up his end of the bargain and delivered her to the Hunters' encampment in Michigan where they were staying for awhile.

"I'll see you next week?" Apollo asked hopefully.

Thalia nodded, "Yep, next week same time."

Apollo grinned, "I'll be looking forward to it."

Thalia laughed, "I bet you will, thanks for the archery lesson."

"It was no problem." Apollo shrugged.

Thalia opened the door and got out of the tiny Spydr and smiled at Apollo, "Goodnight Apollo."

"Goodnight to you too Thalia." Apollo smiled as she started walking away. What on Earth was Apollo doing, his sister was going to kill him?! He couldn't be falling for one of her huntresses, it was a promise he had made to her centuries ago after he fell for another one of her huntresses. However, as forbidden as it was, Thalia seemed like she was perfect. Apollo may or may not have just found his muse.


End file.
